The travel blog for polyglots

20. January 201815. February 2018

Visiting a Turkish hamam – Get clean and improve your vocabulary

Today I’m going to introduce you something you haven’t read on my blog before. If you visit Turkey or any Arabic country don’t miss the occasion to visit a real hamam. As you might recognize this word has an Arabic origin and it simply means bathroom. But believe me it’s much more than only a usual bathroom you might know from home. And it’s an opportunity to do something both for your body and for your vocabulary. There are lots of hamams in Istanbul, of course. But there are two of them that are the most famous ones. One is the Çemberlitaş Hamamınear the Grand Bazaar and the other one is the Cağaloğlu Hamamınear Sultan Ahmed Mosque. I chose the second one during my trip to Istanbul. And when visiting a hamam the first Turkish word you have to know is peştamal. It’s a huge towel you get before entering the bath. First of all you get into a room with a high temperature just to sweat out. You have to spend there about ten minutes. Then the real fun begins. Starting with a peeling you get some foam on your body. Another word you have to know as foam is köpük in Turkish. And this is the best occasion to talk to the staff and to improve your Turkish skills. But watch out because as fast as you improve your language skills you will get a few buckets of water poure over your head. I also got a massage afterwards. At first you will think that these guys are going to break all your bones but when it’s over you will feel like new Born. And of course they offer you some tea afterwards while you sit there and relax in your peştamal. A Turkish hamam is the best place to do something for your health and to get in contact with the hospitable Turkish people who will really appreciate it that you make an attempt at learning their language. And believe me the kebab I had for dinner afterwards tasted even better. But about the Turkish cuisine with all its delights and some new vocabulary to learn I’m going to tell you in my next article. So stay tuned!

Yeah, there are very enjoyable activities in my native city İstanbul. I especially recommend you to try Bosphorus Tour with ferryboat from Eminönü district and to have a breakfast inside the Maiden’s Tower in Üsküdar district.